The Japanese Satoyama-Satoumi

Community-based conservation of environment and habitat is best demonstrated through sustainable farming practices in a socio-ecological production landscape. This section elaborates an age-old Japanese practice of responsible farming and environmental conservation in arable lands around the villages in foothills, called ‘Satoyama’ that the world now looks upon as an adaptive sustainable paradigm for agro-ecological conservation. The genesis of the Satoyama model, its integral constituents and functional aspects that sustains it amidst socio-ecological dynamics, are detailed here. It also documents the rediscovery of the Satoyama in the climate context, its global review and acceptance and as well the formation of international Satoyama partnership network as a global think tank.